Biomedical Engineering Hard To Study? (Must Read)

Are you finishing high school and considering studying Biomedical engineering?

Or maybe you have an engineering degree and considering switching to study for a Biomedical Engineering degree?

Want to know if Biomedical Engineering is hard to study?

We’ll look at how hard Biomedical Engineering is and other related questions.

Ready to learn more?

Let’s dive in

Biomedical Engineering Hard to Study? (Must Read)

Yes, Biomedical Engineering is hard to study since it is a combination of medicine and engineering, and this combination adds complexity, making Biomedical Engineering hard to comprehend.

Many students do find biomedical sciences study hard because they must learn complex information, understand advanced math, and complete lab work that combines engineering principles and medical theories.

As for the particular mathematics involved, it largely depends on the course plan and the program. But the foundational mathematical courses are mostly the same: calculus, intermediate analysis, differential equations, linear algebra, numerical methods, and so on.

Biomedical Engineering is a mix of both Medicine and Engineering, and mixing these adds complexity, making Biomedical Engineering difficult to understand.

As mentioned above, Biomedical Engineering mainly consists of maths, biology, chemistry, and engineering, so if you are not comfortable with these subjects you are likely to find studying Biomedical Engineering hard.

However, if you are comfortable with these subjects, you will find studying Biomedical Engineering manageable.

Biomedical Engineering is also a vast and deep curriculum requiring you to learn a significant amount of information, so you can expect to spend many hours burning the midnight lamp.

In your first two years, you will study the fundamentals of engineering, physics, mathematics, and the basics of biology, anatomy, and physiology.

You will go to more technical classes that are more relevant to biomedical engineering after the first two years.

As you progress into the third and fourth years, you’ll become industry-ready through major design projects that mirror the work of practicing biomedical engineers.

Most students believe these courses to be fairly difficult.

The courses are mathematically challenging and necessitate critical thinking and strong analytical abilities. At this level, simply regurgitating the textbook will not be enough.

You’ll also have a larger selection of electives to pick from. It’s a good idea to choose electives depending on your professional goals and general interests.

What The Internet Is Saying

It is freaking hard. Even for really smart people, it is hard. There was not one person in my graduating class at Purdue who graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Some were close, but not close enough.

As a BME, you’ll take classes across a variety of disciplines and then, somehow, apply those disciplines to the human body.

For example, imagine taking a circuits class and then adapting that same methodology to neurons in the brain.

Oh, by the way, each of those neurons may transmit different ions with different electrical charges so have fun taking that all into account while trying to use the formulas your circuits 101 class taught you.

Source: Quora

Students interested in becoming bioengineers or biomedical engineers should take science classes in high school, such as chemistry, physics, and biology.

They should also study math, such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. If available, classes in drafting, mechanical drawing, and computer programming are also beneficial.

In each college the curriculum will differ, however, you can expect core subjects to be the same.

Here is an example of what to expect

Bioengineering Science
Mathematics
Computer Fundamentals and Programming
Mechanics and Electronics
Medical and Biological Science
Design and Professional Practice
Signals and Control
Fluid and Solid Mechanics
Electronics and Electromagnetics
Design and Professional Practice
Programming
Bioengineering Science
Medical Science
Probability and Statistics for Bioengineering
MEng Group Project
Modelling in Biology

Before we continue let’s confirm what Biomedical Engineering is

What is Biomedical Engineering?

According to Wikipedia, Biomedical engineering or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. BME is also traditionally known as “bioengineering”, but this term has come to also refer to biological engineering.

This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine, combining the design and problem-solving skills of engineering with medical biological sciences to advance health care treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy.

How Long does Biomedical Engineering Take?

Becoming a biomedical engineer typically requires four years of education and two years of work experience. This usually covers the time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree and either obtain a master’s degree or gain work experience in the field.

Is Biomedical Engineering Harder Than Studying Medicine?

Students will tell you that medical school is harder than Biomedical Engineering. Medical school is more demanding as it involves learning a vast amount of complex information over a long period being 14 years, compared to Biomedical Engineering at 4 years.

But that does not mean Biomedical Engineering is a walk in the park, it isn’t.

Biomedical engineering is hard and will take a lot of concentration, sweat, and some tears.

But studying medicine will take a lot more and for a much longer period.

Medical Students often end up neglecting their social lives entirely to keep up with the demands of medical school.

For more about Medical School check out the article below

Is Medical School Hard? (Explained)

Can I Study Biomedical Engineer Not Good at Maths?

Yes, you can study Biomedical Engineering if you are not good at maths. You don’t need to be a maths genius, but you do need to be comfortable with maths such as calculus, algebra, trigonometry, and geometry.

Biomedical Engineering, just like many other engineering fields, is deeply mathematically oriented.

Throughout the program, you will be conducting a lot of analyses and statistics—which, of course, requires sound mathematical and analytical skills.

For particular mathematics involved, it largely depends on the course plan and the program.

But the foundational mathematical courses are mostly the same: calculus, intermediate analysis, differential equations, linear algebra, numerical methods, and so on.

If you are not comfortable with mathematics, it would be advantageous to take further study, making it easier for you.

The good news is there is plenty of material online (some of it free), where you can improve your mathematics skills.

Getting a Job in Biomedical Engineering Easy or Difficult?

It is not hard to get a job in Biomedical engineering, however, this will depend on areas of study within Biomedical Engineering, internships, projects you have undertaken, and connections you have made.

However, the risk with the Biomedical Engineering field is so vast that you could become to avoid being a “jack of all trades, master of none”, after graduating find it difficult to find a job.

So, it’s best to define a niche that you are interested in and narrow in on a specific area.

Biomedical Engineering is a growing industry with a great outlook for the future.

This includes established businesses and also start-ups.

Learn who the companies are that employ biomedical engineers. Research them and what they do.

Does it interest you? Do they have a work culture that appeals to you?

What Biomedical engineering roles do they have and what skills and experience are they looking to hire into their organization.

Thereby, what skills and experience gaps do you need to bridge.

Have you met anyone at these companies that could help you?

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Biomedical Engineering Fun? (Explained)

Yes, Biomedical Engineering is a fun career if you enjoy trying to improve human health. It is also fun solving problems and creating inventions and solutions through the application of medicine and engineering.

If you are somebody that likes, puzzles, maths, physics, accomplishing projects, an incredible amount of curiosity, a lot of perseverance, and a sense of excitement and accomplishment when you come up with a solution, yes you will find Biomedical Engineering fun.

A doctor can provide a treatment plan for a patient, but it is the Biomedical Engineer that comes up with the devices and inventions to save and improve people’s lives.

Imagine a doctor trying to diagnose a patient without an MRI or CT scan?

This is where a Biomedical Engineer comes in, engineering these inventions to improve medical advances and the lives of people.

Biomedical Engineering Degree Useless?

No Biomedical Engineering is not a useless degree. A Biomedical Engineer degree offers varied, challenging interesting and well-paying careers with an endless variety of applications, emerging research, and discoveries.

The risk that Biomedical Engineering graduates do have is being a “jack of all trades” or specializing in a specific area where there is little or no demand.

It is suggested to understand the areas where a Biomedical Engineering degree interest you and ensure there are jobs and growth available in these specialized areas and focus on specializing in one of them.

Here are a few fields to consider.

Bioelectronics
Biomaterials
Computational Biology
Medical Imaging
Microbiology

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but narrowing your interests and areas of specialization, whilst ensuring there are jobs “out there” will increase your chances of landing a job and minimize your chances of having a “useless degree”.

Biomedical Engineering Degree Worth It?

Yes, Biomedical Engineering is worth it if you enjoy combining medical and engineering knowledge to build solutions to improve human health.

Biomedical Engineering is a vast area that offers a multitude of career options.

You can work in the public or private sector, and potential entrepreneurs wanting to work in the start-up industry could even license the technology.

With such a vast and evolving field, working in Biomedical Engineering you never stop learning and evolving.

As a biomedical engineer, you could specialize in diverse areas such as

» Clinical Engineering: research, develop, and maintain instruments and equipment to aid clinical staff.

» Rehabilitation Engineering: work with systems and devices that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

» Biomedical DSP Engineering: develop solutions on digital signal processors for control of biomedical devices and systems.

» Tissue Engineering: create materials and structures to augment or repair human tissue

Biomedical Engineering graduates shouldn’t have too much trouble landing a job.

According to Labor Bureau Statistics report, the employment of bioengineers and biomedical engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Because of the rising use of technology and its applications in medical equipment and devices, employment for bioengineers and biomedical engineers is predicted to expand.

Smartphones and three-dimensional printing are two examples of how technology is being used to boost biomedical research.

The demand for bioengineers and biomedical devices and treatments, such as hip and knee replacements, is likely to rise as the baby-boom generation lives longer and stays active.

Furthermore, as public awareness of medical discoveries grows, more people will turn to their doctors for biomedical solutions to their health concerns.

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Is Biomedical Engineering Good Career? (Must Read)

Yes, Biomedical Engineering is a good career. Biomedical Engineers can work in several different areas, such as tissue engineering, medical imaging, neural engineering, medical devices, and prosthetics.

That is just to name a few areas within the “Biomedical Engineering” field.

You can work in research labs (academic, government, or industry), as a field service engineer, in regulatory roles, or even in sales.

You can also be a representative at hospitals ensuring that your product is used properly and answering any questions that physicians or other healthcare providers may have.

Below are some examples of Biomedical Engineering sectors and industries.

» Biotechnology
» Biomedicine
» Consulting
» Government Departments &
» Agencies
» Health Services
» Hospitals
» Medical Devices and Equipment
» Petrochemicals
» Pharmaceuticals
» Research and Development

A solid technical and design foundation, as well as strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, are highly regarded across a variety of industries. There’s an opportunity to work in the following fields:

» Management consulting
» Finance, economics, and banking
» Business analysis
» Project management
» Technical sales, marketing, and communications
» Intellectual property management
» Technical writing
» Government and policy

In terms of wages, Biomedical Engineering does pay well. Wages will depend on specialization, industry, location, and years of experience.

That being said a recent Bureau Labor report noted the median annual wage for bioengineers and biomedical engineers was $92,620 in May 2020.

The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less.

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $56,590, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $149,440.

Final Thoughts

Studying Biomedical Engineering is hard to study, no easy task, however for someone who enjoys the combination of medicine and engineering, with the view to make discoveries that improve human life then it is worth studying.

Hope you have found this article interesting and helpful, for a further article relating to medicine and engineering see below